"We had it under control! You're exhausting!" shouted Newt one more time. His hand were still covered in blood. Someone called his name again but he even acknowledge it. He ignored them as he was going to shout louder than them anyway.

"You're exhausting me! I should force you to step down!-" Newt was surely going to expend on the threat when Charlotte without a warning dropped in.

"How is it?" she asked cutting in Newt's rant.

Thomas shrugged, it burned enough for him to have stayed still, sat obediently on the bed exactly where she had left him.

"It's fine," he said, head high. He was not going to give Newt the satisfaction to know.

"Fine?!" scoffed the blond. Even Charlotte raised her eyebrows at the answer.

"It's nothing," gritted the immune.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, and stepped out taking her leave with a last sympathetic glance at Brenda who had been quietly leaning against the table in the back of the room.

"Why are you like this!" hissed Newt the moment she closed the door. "Don't you care?"

"Are you asking me as President Council or my friend?" taunted Thomas.

"Both!" shrieked Newt. "You were reckless!"

Thomas didn't answer stubbornly looking down.

"You can't just run in front of someone who holds a knife," exasperated Newt.

"They could have gravely harmed you, Thomas…" insisted Brenda. "There was other solutions."

"It doesn't matter," railed Thomas. He didn't ran from Newt's glare, challenging him to contradict him. "I had to do something. It was my job. It worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah," drawled Newt, pushing his hands on his trousers to get some of the blood off. It didn't work. "Sure. It doesn't matter. Why am I even upset?!"

The same voice called again and with a last curse Newt stomped out of the room. "I'm here! Can't you wait a bloody minute?!"

The door smashed behind him and Thomas breathed in maybe for the first time since the beginning of the night. Everything had moved so fast. It was bad but it could have been worst. They found out who had escape quarantine. But Thomas jut couldn't stop thinking about what if it was too late already. What if they were going to get infected, like a filled glass crashing on the floor, it was spreading everywhere and there was nothing Thomas could do. He should have been more careful. He had risked everyone's life.

Brenda stood up, walking to him seemly ready to resolve whatever was stuck inside Thomas's head.

"It's about him, right?" asked Brenda, her voice quiet and soft so different from Newt's rant.

"Who?"

"Your boyfriend?" she drawled, knowingly placing the knife and twisting it. How could she always be so attentive.

"Can we not make a big deal out of this?" he asked trying to get some sympathy from the leaking bandage and current ridiculous pain shooting through his side.

"Oh, you want us not to make a big deal out of it?" she repeated on that unabashed smartass tone she used again and again in the Last City. "Like it's not a big deal that you just got stab? Or hunted down by WCKD for months?" she taunted. "That just works so well."

"It happened," said Thomas, suddenly missing Newt incoherent scolding. It was painful to listen to but it didn't sting as much as Brenda's words. "It doesn't matter," he repeated uselessly, maybe more for her to understand she should let it go because now wasn't the moment.

"You can't continue like this Thomas," she insisted. "It's not a viable solution."

"You don't understand," muttered the boy. His hands started shaking again. "You can't."

"What can't I?" Brenda hissed. "I'm getting tired of people telling me that. I was not in the Maze!"

"You don't understand!" Shouted Thomas. He wanted to stand, to leave. "It doesn't matter, because I can't lose this."

"What?" choked Brenda, stepping back suddenly.

"You know! You do it too! Like if this doesn't matter, it's okay if something happens, because what's important is that you are safe."

"What?"

"Is it so crazy to think that I'm terrified to lose all of this?"

"You need to talk to him. He might let you get away with those shot of anger, but now that's too much. It isn't the first time it happens," said Brenda probably referencing the past few events of Thomas jumping into danger without thinking. "He doesn't to lose you neither. Don't make him."

1 Week later:

Thomas agreed but did nothing for it. As usual on this island, Minho, Brenda, everyone told him to decided what he wanted, what matter but Thomas kept on push back and farther each time. Now it was to late.

"You can not just do that!" hissed Newt following him into their room. Did it seem like they are constantly fighting? Because Thomas swore he was getting tired of it.

"Everybody agreed we need to go back there for material," mediated Thomas, trying not to react at the blond sudden attack. "I just wanted to help. Vince needed people and I've got experience. I just thought it was a good idea!"

"A good idea? Going back to the Last City?" shouted Newt, trying to close the door without making the Council's notes fall down from his arms. He was tired, and if Thomas didn't have insider information it wasn't hard to guess. The dark circles under his eyes was a constant feature now. It had been barely a week since one of the outsider escape and they didn't sleep much since. The incident had send an up row within the Council, people started to question Newt's choice to quarantine them. Fear was spreading as quick as a wild fire.

"You actually think that it's a good idea?!" Newt laughed bitterly, turning around to find somewhere to put down his stack of papers.

"It's a necessity." Repeated Thomas brushing his tone away with a shrug. "You heard them."

"They've been here for less than two weeks and you're ready to trust them?!"

Thomas could feel that headache settle in just from Newt's cold tone. "Can we not replay the debate we just had, please?"

The blond cursed, exasperated, his hand pushing through his hair. "Sure! Why don't you tell me how long have you guys been thinking about it instead?" asked Newt throwing the folders on the desk.

"Just then!" spat Thomas. "Can you stop?"

"What about the boat?" Newt demanded turning around. "It hadn't been voted yet that you already had started to load the boat? Are you in such hurry to leave? Or were you going to go through with that stupid plan regardless of the Council decision?"

"Obviously not!" Thomas sighed trying to breath through it. They were both exhausted.

"But we were sure it was going to pass. We need to fill the reserve before the winter," explaind Thomas slowly, like they had said at the Council meeting. He followed Newt's frantic movement around the room. "Vince went with what the greenbeans said and I just helped."

"You just helped," he scoffed but without the usual poison and with more resilience. He turned around again, looking for something. Thomas almost believed it was to hide his face, trying to do something else otherwise he might explode.

Thomas could keep his voice from raising up a bit more, "You should be talking to Vince if you're unhappy with the way it was handled."

"I don't want to talk to Vince!" he answered, his voice trailing into high tones. His hand clasped on his mouth. Realising the edge they were standing on, Thomas actually stopped and took a step back. His hand ran in his hair.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Newt, voice wet with tears.

"So, you complain we don't follow the rules enough," grumbled Thomas not daring to look up still. "And then ask me to bypass the Council protocol to give you first hand reports on the activity of departments outside your authority?"

Newt sat down on the bed with an audible sigh, they were so damn tired. They had had a long day, the four hour long surprised debate had just added another layer of drama that the day didn't need. A debate that everyone, but the legislative branch, was aware of.

"FUck," breathed out Newt, sounding a little less in shamble. "This wasn't suppose to go like that."

Thomas stared at him, in wonder. This was their worst fight. Newt did even look back and just stare at the floor.

It was not their first fight. They fought about too many work related things and many petty ones. It wasn't new, but before it was mostly stupid things if you listened Minho. Like that time Thomas went swimming in the middle of the night, or that time Thomas decided to climb a "bloody tree" to help build "god knows what" and fell of, or even how Newt had to stop spending all of his time trying to resolve everybody's problems and to just come home and sleep.

It was neither the first post-council fight they had. Council meetings were always complicated, bearing high stakes for their small community, leaving Newt exhausted and high strung. Even more so when they were personally arguing for different sides.

Dealing with the consequences was never really a problem, and mostly involved Thomas pushing Newt against the nearest wall at the end of the day to make out until the blond was too breathless to find another counter-argument.

Thomas might even have investigated one or two fight on purpose. Minho did roll his eyes a few times when the two of them came back after having stormed off the room, shouting at each others a few hours earlier.

But this one was different.

Newt had agree on the provision; sending a boat out to check on the continent, bringing some news about WCKD, informations on other immunes or survivors and some materials they could not find here. Find the missing members of the greenies. A week expedition to the continent. It was a sound proposition, Newt welcomed it, as did everybody else.

Thomas did not even know why they were fighting. Everything had started when Thomas started on the technicalities and planning. Thomas sighted knowing it might as well be a random mood swing from the other. Nobody was excepting them to be reasonable all hours of the day. Not with what they'd been through. They all managed somehow. Minho would still disappear on some of the worst days, not even letting Brenda in his cabin. Newt would stay in bed all morning and not whisper a word throughout the day or suddenly exploded in tears. It happened. Even him, Thomas would just not stopped running, suddenly ditching everything. Nobody was really fine, but justify this outbreak of tears and shouts. There was no reason to be fighting, and it was getting late.

Thomas kneeled down, grabbing the bag under the bed. They were leaving tomorrow.

"You're really going with them, then?" asked Newt playing with his sleeves, it was getting colder in evenings now.

"It's a short trip," brushed off Thomas, shaking the sand off the bag. It gets everywhere. "And I'm feeling fine."

Newt did not look up. "Are you sure?" he asked, but Thomas did not acknowledge the vulnerability in his voice, to busy going through the bag and not wanting to start the fight back.

"They need me," said Thomas.

"I need you," mumbled Newt, almost too softly for Thomas to make out those two words. Before Thomas had the time to look up, the blond stood. "You're right. They need you," flatly declared Newt before storming out.

Thomas stood motionless before snapping out of it and tried to run after him, finding only that the blond could disappear quickly if he wanted. Minho watched him ran down to the square, an unimpressed rose eyebrow on his face.

"Have you seen Newt?" Asked Thomas not interest in his friend's patronise comments.

Thomas was getting it anyway. "What did you do now?" chided Minho.

"Nothing!" Thomas searched the place for the messy blond hair of his friend. "He just stormed out! This is so childish, he needs to stop doing that."

"You do that too," commented Minho not at all understanding the urgency. Thomas just made a face at him.

"I don't really care right now," grumbled Thomas. "Do you know where he is?"

"I haven't seen him," answered Minho simply, hands in his pockets. "Is it because of the expedition?"

"No! He just-!" Thomas cursed under his breath, still looking around for those stupid blond hair. "I'll tell you later, I just need to find him and finishing packing. If you see him, tell him I'm looking for him."

He didn't wait for an answer and left.

Newt was not at the beach, he was not crying at the edge of the camp, nor insulting Vince for whatever was his problem about the expedition, no, that idiot was casually chatting up with Harriet and Charlotte. The blond barely noticed Thomas approaching.

"Just don't exhaust yourself, we just need a quick list to give them," repeated Newt his hand brushing her shoulder completely compose. "I know we're low on antibiotics, right?"

"Yeah…" nodded Charlotte. "Anything would help, I just don't want to take up all their time there."

"You won't," promised Newt.

"We'll probably bring back anything we found but giving them a precise list might help concentrate our efforts," supported Harriet. "Medical is our priority in this trip."

"Can I steal Newt away for a moment?" Asked Thomas. Harriet and Charlotte did not wait for confirmation before steping aside with a polite, "We were finished anyway" and "I'll be in the storage."

Newt balanced his weight back and forth, watching his friend walk away without a second of hesitation. Thomas grabbed Newt's wrist and pulled.

"You can't just run off!" hissed Thomas under his breath once they were far enough diving straight in.

"I know…" Newt looked at least a bit ashamed, eyes on the floor. "I didn't mean to shoot you down. You should go."

Thomas frowned, trying to make sense of the blond's words but also not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone. "What?"

"I was being stupid," repeated Newt, pushing Thomas's shoulder lightly, looking up but not yet meeting Thomas's eyes. "They need you; You are experienced, always find your way around. You were right. Just be careful."

All of the words were slowly making sense. Newt had just been worried. Why wouldn't he be? Thomas bit his lips, regretting not having see it come around.

"It's only a week," reassured Thomas. "In and out, just-"

"Stop," Cut off Newt, still not looking at him. He tried to rule his shaky breathing and put smile on his lips. "Just say you'll be careful."

Thomas nodded, before realising Newt was not looking at him. He grabbed his hand tugging him closer. "We will, I promise."

Thomas leaned against his friend, letting their forehead touch.

"If you don't come back…" muttered the blond, fingers clenching around Thomas's hand. "If they lied, I'll have them executed. I swear if they-"

Thomas kissed him silent before he could say another crazy thing.

"Great," started off Newt, blushing slightly after Erik whistle at them. There were standing in the middle of the Main Hall after all. His hand ran on the back on his neck. Thomas tried to grab hiss arm but Newt moved away. "I need to go… I still have to find Sonya and check over a few things with Frypan, I'll see you later?"

Newt did not wait for an answer, escaping from Thomas's grasp and walking off to the kitchen.

As he tiptoed back into their room, Thomas realised that "later" never really happened. Shivering from the cold wind blowing from the sea, he held close some of the tools Gally had lend him as he walked in the pitch dark room. It must have been around 4 or maybe 5am, the moon had been the only source of light for a while now and temperatures had dropped to settle to much lower degrees than it was pleasant to be walking around in.

Thomas was checking his bag a last time when someone called out his name and had to squint to see the tall man standing in front his cabin.

"Minho?" whispered Thomas. "Why are you up?"

"Good question…" sighted Minho, finally stepping in. He never waited long before falling asleep. Newt suspected it was because of the dark. The candles, the moon and the stars could only illuminate so much of the island, leaving them prisoner of the night's obscurity with no way to turn the light back on. Thomas could only agree with it, after what Minho had been through in the lab. The little they actually talk about it, was enough for Thomas to accept any quirks Minho might have developed.

"I'm waiting on Brenda actually," he explained, leaning against the door. "Which brings me to why I'm here. Can you please check on your idiot?"

"Newt?" Thomas stood up, only then realising that Newt wasn't in bed. "Where is he?"

"You're exhausting…" mumbled Minho with a painful sigh, hands coming up to his face. Thomas shrugged because it sounded a bit was unfair, but it was Minho talking so there must be some truth in it. "He's worried."

"I know…" lamented Thomas.

"He is really worried, Thomas."

"I know!" exclaimed the ex-runner. "We talked about it, he said it's fine."

"Well, I think he has a point," retorted Minho ignoring the tone, staring down at his friend. He had this calm, powerful voice and stand that just reminded Thomas of the first Glade council. Minho had lead the runners for a while in the Glade, burdening the knowledge that there was no way out of the Maze and still ordering the team of nervous teenagers.

"You shouldn't go," he said and Thomas almost wanted to look away like a child just getting scold by the principal. "You're still recovering from your wounds and they'll need everyone at their best. Plus, the Greenbeans heard about you than means people on the continent has heard about your blood. It would put a target on you and the whole team. If you were a runner, I'd ground you."

"It would be a mistake because I'm fine." Thomas himself could feel the hesitation behind his weak argument.

He didn't wait for an answer and sat back down, repacking his bag one more time. Minho didn't comment, letting Thomas fidget with his bag. Why was it so hard for them to understand? He had to go, we couldn't let his friend, his people, the people that voted for him sail straight ahead in what could be a trap. He needed to see, he needed to be back on the continent, make sure it was safe, that WCKD was gone, so much to check and insure, nobody else could understand.

"Why do you want to go back so badly?" finally asked Minho. "We all remember what happened last time we were there."

"Why?" scoffed the ex-runner, blood boiling with misunderstood anger. "I don't want to go back, they need me!"

Minho rolled his eyes. "I'm coming too then," he announced.

"What?! No!" Thomas's heart started racing and he couldn't stop himself from standing up again to face Minho. "That's out of question."

"See?" chuckled Minho, patting him on the shoulder. "You can't ask us to react otherwise."

"Stop it," growled Thomas batting his hand away.

"I know there's no stopping you. Just, the idea of you running around in the Last City? For some medication any other Shank can get?" teased Minho."I don't have to think hard about it to know it's a bad idea."

"Can you guys just chill?" exclaimed Thomas staring at the ceiling. "It'll be fine."

"You better come back, that's all I'll say," warned Minho. He moved away from Thomas ready to take his leave. "Now, please, can you get Newt? We've been trying to talk him down for the past hour, and I just really want to go to bed."

"What?" hissed Thomas. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He's at the beach." Was all Minho had time to say before Thomas took off running.

The wind was pulling on the palm trees, the waves growling and tearing at the sand beach at this time of the night. Thomas rushed to the beach leaving the light and warm of the camp behind. As a rule they were told to keep away from that area, as anyone getting caught in its swirls wouldn't survive. Thomas's feet were skinning a deeper into the cool sand when he heard Brenda's hushed voice.

"Just let me get Thomas," she repeated softly but without any real inflexion like she already knew the answer.

Thomas was close enough to hear Newt flimsy answer, his face hidden against his arms, his knees pressed against his chest. The blanket was a clear sign of what had gone down, and felt like cold iced water just got thrown at his face.

"Don't," sobbed Newt somehow managing enough resolution and stubbornness that no one dared to disobey.

Sonya was there too, all sitting in the sand next to Newt in her pyjama and Harriet's borrowed jacket. She was the first to see Thomas hovering like an idiot at the edge of the little group. From the glare she fired to him, it seemed clear that he was not getting any support from her.

"Just breath," mumbled Brenda, tiredness dripping through her voice.

Sonya hummed in agreement, fingers running the blond's hair but her eyes were fixed on Thomas, almost taunting him to approach.

"Hey guys," mumbled Thomas kneeling down in front of the little group. Newt didn't react and kept his head down.

Thomas didn't wait for Sonya to stop throwing daggers and showing her teeth like some feral animal to slowly reach for Newt's arm.

Brenda looked relieved of his arrival and sigh softly. "We'll let you talk," she mouthed with reassuring smile for Thomas.

Sonya was harder to convince. The two siblings had become much closer after the election. It was not like they had any idea how to interact, but their friendship had slowly build-up to the point Sonya would not hesitate to jump of WCKD tower or fight her way through the whole Council to protect her brother.

Their relation was better off now that Newt had talked to her. Thomas had moved from enemy number one to an dubious contingency she had to keep an eye one. When she finally stood, Thomas could feel the threat hanging over his head. He'd better fix whatever was going on or the Last City would be the least of his worry tomorrow.

Brenda gave him a thump up for encouragement as they moved away.

Newt had finally looked up watching his friend walked away into the dark, pulling the blanket tighter against himself.

"I'm sorry… This is so pathetic…" he mumbled trying to remove the tears and erase every trace of it uselessly as tears kept on coming unwillingly.

"What's going on?" the ex-runner urged his friend.

"You just-" cried Newt. "It's not- I really tried, but I'm not the same as before… I can't make those decisions anymore. I'm constantly terrified and I don't want to risk anything anymore. And I can't just stand there and-!"

"What? What decisions?" Thomas was barely making out the words lost between Newt's irregular breathing and muffled voice as quiet tears turned into panicked bursts.

"I know you want to go. But please don't," cried Newt hiding his face into his hands. "Please, just don't."

Thomas couldn't find his words for a moment, hearing the same sounds that in the Last City and he hated it. Thomas tried to ignore it and focus on stopping the tears from falling.

"I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, don't… It's okay," hushed Thomas tugging Newt against him, as he could physically take the pain away. His hand took Sonya's place in Newt's hair, not really sure what else to do and counted the seconds until he would calm down.

The tears slowed and Newt started to breath again.

"I'll be careful," tried Thomas again pushing from blond strands behind his ear, trying to push back the memories and the fear.

"I know," he answered, eyes filled his fear before pushing his face back against Thomas's neck. "I'm sorry… It's like there is smoke filling up my brain sometimes and I can't think, just worry. I'm never sure if I'm overreacting, or not… I feel so stupid now."

"It's okay," tried to smooth Thomas, fingers brushing away most of the tears from Newt's cheeks.

"I'll come with you next time, then?" proposed Newt with a smile.

"What? No!" Shouted Thomas hands falling to his sides. "You're not going! I almost lost you once. This isn't happening!"

"I almost lost you too!" hissed Newt, pushing Thomas to the sand as he stood up. "WKCD might still be around, and we know that people are looking for you, but no! It's me who has to worry to death about you and stay here, while you try to save the world again! Haven't you had enough?"

"Newt-" Started Thomas standing up.

"Why do you want to go back there so much?" asked Newt stepped back from him. "Are you going to look for survivors because you feel guilty? Is it because of Teresa? Because of your blood? Are you even planning on coming back?" his voice cracked on that last question.

"Newt! Obviously, I'm coming back!" shouted Thomas grabbing Newt's shoulders. He tried to stepped back but Thomas cupped his face between his hands. "It's for you!"

Newt stood speechless.

"You're right! I want to find WKCD," echoed Thomas. "I want to make sure you're cured."

"Tommy?" started Newt before stopping himself, too confuse to come up with an appropriate answer. He searched for words lost seemingly between the moral obligation to shout and the need to cry.

"I'm not going to sit around waiting for you to die on me again." explained Thomas, fire in his eyes. "I will not listen to you beg for me to kill you again!"

"Tommy," said Newt stepping closer. "We can't stop those things from happening. We don't need to go back looking for a cure, we need to stop living like this. I'm not leaving you."

Thomas wrapped the blond in his arms. "No. I am telling you; I am not losing you."

Thomas kept his arms lock around the blond's waist. He was not letting go, not now.

"We're ridiculous," chuckled Newt against the other's shoulder. Thomas just held on tighter.

"I'm fine, and if that changes, we'll find something else," assured Newt. "But don't go there for that reason, we have so much time, we have other cures."

"I just… I just can't continue," mumbled Thomas in the blond's hair. "I keep on dreaming about you, turning, with the veins everywhere and I can't do anything. You just beg me to kill you and I can't! It's just-"

"It's only a dream, Tommy," whispered Newt. "I'm fine now but nightmares won't go away because you engage in another suicide mission. You're still healing from the knife wound, you don't have to go now. We have all the time we need."

Cutting off Thomas stubborn answer the wind picked up once again and rain started to pour. The boys barely had time to realise what was happening that the heavy drops had already soaked them both. The first time it had, everybody had started laughing and running through the tropical rain. It was a big change from the Scorch and the horrid weather of the Last City.

After a time, it was not much more than an inconvenience that the camp had to work around but Newt could never stop enjoying the feeling of the chilled rain cooling down oppressive hot air. He couldn't stop remembering the God send afternoon rain drenching the Glade, blurring up everything around them until they almost couldn't see the wall locking them in.

Thomas probably decided he had had enough of being amazed by water and dragged Newt back to their room.

"Newt," mumbled Thomas, hands playing with the necklace after tried to dry most of their clothes without much success. "I'm sorry, I couldn't do it."

Newt stopped in his tracks, turning to his friend. Raining was hitting the walls around them hard enough to build a suffocating white noise in the little room.

"I'm scared I can never do it," Added Thomas eyes fixed on the necklace.

"I should never have asked you."

Thomas didn't look up, eyes fixed on what used to contain the letter and Newt's last words. "I won't let it happen again," he swore.

"Tommy, you don't need to-"

"I promise you," Repeated Thomas standing up from the little chair and crossing the space separating them. "I'll keep you safe."

Newt grabbed Thomas's hand locked on the necklace. He didn't let go but Newt did want him to.

"You're not getting ride of me, Tommy," smiled Newt, bitting his lips. "I told you I'd follow you anywhere."

He let Newt grab the necklace and discard it on the table, suddenly forgotten and hopefully buried away with the rest of their mistakes and regrets. Thomas tried not to roll his eyes, but he swears Newt's smiles are contagious because he couldn't stop his own and pushed Newt away.

"Someone needs to stop you from following through with those stupid ideas you keep on getting, after all!" Newt laughed and after all those tears it was the sweetest sound.

The sun was up, warm over the cool sand and wet soil. Minho started stretching trying to push away any of the things he had to face today. Thomas was leaving today with the boat. It was going to be long and he'd better conserve his strength.

He raised an eyebrow seeing Thomas walk up to him.

"I didn't think you'll join today," welcomed Minho badly hiding concern in his voice, instead of the usual banter they would undertake before started their morning runs.

"Well, I have time." He shrugged, evading on the subject but Minho just waited for it. He could barely stop his smile from forming.

"I'm not going," announced Thomas.

Minho couldn't hide his smirk.

"What?"

"I just won," danced Minho across the path. "Brenda bet that Newt was going to make a scene on the boat to stop you from going. But, I knew for a fact that you wouldn't even last the night."

Thomas wasn't sure to be offended or amused and stared at his friend in wonder.

"Oh come!" teased Minho. "We both know, you can resist those brown eyes."

"Slim it," chided Thomas. "That's not true. I'm still healing, it was a stupid idea…"

But Minho wasn't interesting in listening to Thomas, started running not waiting for his friend who struggled to catch up.

Maybe this was the first time that Minho realised. Maybe this was going to be fine. Maybe they could actually do it together.

His friends had woken up after it all. They had woken up and things hadn't gone their way all the time, but somehow they had made it through. Damn him but Minho was going to make most of it.

2 Year later;

"No."

"Come on!" whined Thomas. "We've been talking about it for a year now!"

"Tommy, we're like teenagers still…"

"We're not!" laughed Thomas at that childish argument.

Newt let the bowls into the sink and turned around. "We work all day long!"

"That's only because we never really want stop," tried Thomas coming up next to Newt. "Come on! She is so alone. She says she doesn't even have a name! I am the only one she agrees to talk to, it's breaking my heart to know she is sleeping alone on that boat at night."

Newt could not even look at him in the eyes, and turned back to continue washing the dishes. Thomas had gone to the continent with Minho a few times now and had just came back with refugees and goods. Refugees , goods and a little girl. Obviously she had taken into liking Thomas, who wouldn't? She was 12 and had refused to leave the ship. Not even realising that he was cleaning the same cup again and again, Thomas grabbed it off his hands.

"What's going on?"

Newt shrugged uselessly. "Are you sure we're up for it? What if things go bad again?" mumbled Newt. "What if we're, that I'm a bad parent?"

"A bad parent?" echoed Thomas.

"I jumped of a wall, remember?" joked the blond bitterly.

"Newt, I went off on a vendetta that destroyed the Last working City on the planet," scolded Thomas seriously trying to shake Newt out of his pity party.

"Exactly!" said Newt turning back to continue the dishes, handing some wet bowl at Thomas for him to get on with drying it up. "Maybe none of us should approach that kid."

"We've been over that… I've been head of Security since like we invented the job. You've been an elected Member of the Council for the past two years, President of the Council on two different mandates," Thomas elbowed his friend, meticulously engrossed in continuing the dishes. "You are the most responsible Gladder on that bloody island."

"We don't have the first idea about parenting," countered the blond.

"If there is anyone I trust about raising a child, is you," Thomas grabbed the blond's hands tugging him toward him away from the bucket. "You'll do wonderfully, and if you can't, I'll be there to make sure everything ends up okay."

Newt tried to glare but it wasn't working.

"We do need to start straight away with bad cop/good cop, because I swear I'll never be able to scold her."

"This can't be real," smiled Newt looking up to the ceiling. Anyone who would have told him he was going to be having dinner with Newt and nagging him about adopting a child would be his life two year ago, he would have laughed at their face.

"I want to meet her first," sighted Newt trying to glare but Thomas had became unaffected by them by now.

"Yah!" shouted Thomas, hands jumping in the air. "We're adopting her!"

"I did not say that-" tried Newt but there was no point in trying to tame Thomas enthusiasm.

"Sure honey," teased Thomas. "You're going to see her, her adorable face, how small she is, and how she is alone and then decide that 'no,' we're going to leave her there."

Newt didn't hesitate and threw a handful of water at Thomas. He had to make himself be respected in some ways but the ex-runner didn't back down from a easy fight rolling them both to the floor. Newt actually escape and make a run for the pillow only offering Thomas with the opportunity to tackle and tickle him on the bed.

"Can't wait for tomorrow morning. Minho will be enraged when I'll tell him," smirked Thomas who sat comfortably straddling his giggling friend.

"Oh, so that's what's all about," laughed Newt hands pinned down. "Is there some kind of competition going on?"

"Totally," laughed Thomas. "After all this time I just can't believe Brenda got pregnant, and you still aren't."

"You did not just say that," Newt exclaimed incredulous.

"I might have," Thomas taunted with a smirk. "What are you going to do about it?"

"It's over," he announced with a badly contained smile getting out of Thomas's grasp. "I want the house, and a divorce!"

"Then, I claim the bed!" and on those words, Thomas pushed him off the bed unceremously.

The ex-runner looked down to see Newt still laying on the floor both unable to stop laughing. Easily Thomas give him a hand to crawl back on the bed.

"You know I love you, right?" mumbled Thomas, as his friend sat straighter on the bed facing him.

Newt didn't answer, pulling his boyfriend close to kiss him instead.

"Frypan never puts carrots in it," chided Newt looking over Thomas's shoulder.

The ex-runner didn't look up from the pot, stirring the stew methodically.

"Well, I do," he declared, trying to get Newt away from the stone. He knew what he was doing mind you!

"It's going to be too sweet," assured the blond a last time, before going back to setting the table.

"Trust my instincts," Thomas gloated. "I got us out of the Glade, didn't I?"

Newt was going to comment on the titanic work the Runners had undertook before Thomas the Great Saviour had showed up but it was cut short.

The door opened and a second later none of them saw the little thing rushing through the room to jump into Newt's arms. Marie always had a way to waltz into the house without much of a warning. She was a stubborn child with no time for mercy, always ready to follow Thomas in hazardous adventure. Much to his distress, she would resist the longest during staring contests against Newt.

"How was your day?" asked Newt as she rushed over to give Thomas their secret handshakes. "How was school?"

"Cool!" She giggled. "And Great!"

"Any homework?" called out Newt as Marie bolted from the table with a stolen piece bread going straight for her bedroom to leave her bag and pile of books.

She came back rushing to the table for more bread.

"Can I go to the park with my friends after dinner?" Marie whispered to Newt, knowing he was a easy win.

"Sure, not after sunset though."

"But Frederick is allowed out after dark!" she whined like Newt was being annoying in his rules.

"Frederick?" repeated Thomas turning away from the stove. "Your little classmate you keep on telling us about?"

Marie turned red, stopping in her tracks to glare at Thomas. "Maybe…" she taunted.

"Is he cute?" teased Thomas. "Can we meet him?"

"No!" Marie insisted, running around the table. Thomas didn't give her the chance to hide behind Newt and tackled her, tickling her to tears.

Laughter erupted in the house and Newt took over the stew until peace came back. They didn't have time for it though because as soon as it was done, Sonya barged in.

"Minho fainted!" she shouted, dishevelled and breathless.

Thomas held Marie close against him as Sonya jittered by the door, not giving more information. She was staring at them excepting some reaction obviously too shocked to think it through.

"And is he okay?" urged her brother.

"Yes!" Sonya laughed. "Brenda's having the baby!"

Thomas threw Mary in the air for good manner as Newt gasped at the news, "No way!"

"Just go!" urged Sonya tugging her brother to the door. "I'll walk with Marie!"

The boys rushed to the medical tent. Marie grabbed Sonya's hand naturally following the path quietly. The two girls made their way down slowly, as excitation could be felt around the camp.

"Is Auntie Brenda okay?" asked Marie holding on tight to Sonya's hand as they heard Brenda ordering Minho out of the tent. Minho sat down incredulous on a near by bench while Newt patted his back with some smoothing words.

"Yeah…" smiled Sonya. "She'll be. Though I think Uncle Minho will need a hug."

Marie squealed rushing down to tackle her uncle into a massive hug. Sonya stared amazed at her family and friends wondering how could something that had started so terribly, ended up to be so wonderful.

N/A: That's it! I'm quite unhappy with the ending but it had to be done.

Thank you so much for putting up with all that bad grammar and confusing non-sense. As it is common say, I tried, and therefore I should not be blamed. Marie is for Mary Cooper, the member of Right Arm as pictured in the movie. I guess Mary would still be some kind of hero for them, so guess it made sense? Anyway hope you liked it. Have a nice day!

Also there is a hidden Star War reference. Who ever finds it, you're a legend.

Chapter's inspiration in order:

Waking Up Slow by Gabrielle Alpin.

Photograph by Ed Sheeran.

Somebody Else by Flora Cash.

Don't Keep Driving by the Paper Kites.

Next to me by Imagine Dragons.

Heavenly Day by Griffin.